Can olive eggers be sexed at hatch?

[Tstraub]

I just hatched a clutch of eggs containing 4 olive eggers(BCM X EE) I have read various articles that seem to conflict on how to sex them. Some say spot on head some say pin feather length, tail development, down color, etc. I imagine that the answer is it depends on the parent stock since it’s a mix breed not a true standard breed.

Anyway one of the 4 eggs hatched 2 days ago still waiting on the other 3 but starting to lose hope not seeing any progress or hearing any chirps. My wife has really fallen in love with this one and will be heartbroken if it’s a male. We already have more cockerels than recommended but they a still young enough that the hormones haven’t hit them real hard yet so they are playing nice for now.

 

[JedJackson]

The head spot thing only works if it's a non-barred male over a barred female. In that case, males will have head spots and females won't. But that doesn't apply with your chicks. Feather sexing also doesn't apply. That has to be bred for specifically and really the only variety I know of where is works is with Amderlinks. Tails also are not a good indicator of sex when they are young. So you will need to judge by their combs, size and redness. 6 weeks of age is a good time to start with that.

 

[NatJ]

I imagine that the answer is it depends on the parent stock since it’s a mix breed not a true standard breed.

Yes, it depends on the breed mix. Certain mixes can be sexed one way, others can be sexed a different way, and there are plenty of mixes where you just have to wait until they show some obvious trait (like red combs or crowing.)

I just hatched a clutch of eggs containing 4 olive eggers(BCM X EE) I have read various articles that seem to conflict on how to sex them. Some say spot on head some say pin feather length, tail development, down color, etc.

Assuming BCM is Black Copper Marans and EE is Easter Egger:

With BCM father (no white barring), then if the EE mothers had white barring you would have one kind of sexlinks (head spot on males, not on females.)

If the BCM father had fast feathering (which is likely) and the EE mothers had slow feathering, the chicks would be feather-sexable.

The BCM father has the gold gene. If the EE mothers have the silver gene, the chicks will be gold/silver sexlinks (sexable by down color.)

But unless you know something about the EE mothers, you are stuck with guessing. And it is common for EEs to have no barring, fast feathering, and gold color-- which would produce chicks that are completely unsexable by any of those methods (all chicks would have no barring, fast feathering, and gold color.)

If you get any chicks that DO have white barring, or silver color, then they are definitely males (because the father does not have those those traits, so they must be inherited from the mother, who gives them only to her sons not her daughters.) If a chick has slow feathering it is probably a male as well, but I can't be certain because of how feathering speed is often ignored when selecting breeding stock.

 

[Tstraub]

The head spot thing only works if it's a non-barred male over a barred female. In that case, males will have head spots and females won't. But that doesn't apply with your chicks. Feather sexing also doesn't apply. That has to be bred for specifically and really the only variety I know of where is works is with Amderlinks. Tails also are not a good indicator of sex when they are young. So you will need to judge by their combs, size and redness. 6 weeks of age is a good time to start with that.

Thanks for the reply that’s sort of what I figured but never hurts to ask.

 

[Tstraub]

She is now six weeks old. Her comb has been very pale yellow but has started to turn a little more into the orange/pinkish range. Still no signs of wattles but I think that most bearded breeds have small wattles so that might not mean much.

 

[Yard Farmer]

She is now six weeks old. Her comb has been very pale yellow but has started to turn a little more into the orange/pinkish range. Still no signs of wattles but I think that most bearded breeds have small wattles so that might not mean much.

Looks like a pullet to me.

 

[Tstraub]

Looks like a pullet to me.

Thanks I’m really hoping for a pullet. I already have 2 black copper marans cockerels from the same incubation. I’m happy to keep one or two roosters in my flock but can’t keep them all.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

She is now six weeks old. Her comb has been very pale yellow but has started to turn a little more into the orange/pinkish range. Still no signs of wattles but I think that most bearded breeds have small wattles so that might not mean much.

Looks like a pullet.

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

X3 Pullet-very interesting coloration, would love to see her pics in about 6-8 weeks from now.

 

[Tstraub]

X3 Pullet-very interesting coloration, would love to see her pics in about 6-8 weeks from now.

I’m really excited about her coloring still trying to come up with a name for her. I’vebeen calling her boots for now because she is my only olive egger with feathered feet. Not sure if I like that name or not. I’ll try to remember to update this thread later. So far I’ve been pretty good about updating the ones I’ve questioned when gender becomes clear.

I like to read old threads and try to take my best guess. The ones that get updated seem to have closure like I know if I guessed right or wrong.